A pediatric critical care doctor died from stab wounds and his wife sustained critical injuries after an intruder allegedly broke into their home and attacked them while they slept, according to authorities in Pennsylvania.
Police officers arrived at a residence in Edgewood, near Pittsburgh, around 12:30 a.m. Thursday and discovered Dr. Idris Evans and his wife suffering from multiple stab wounds, the Allegheny County Police Department reported.
According to the criminal complaint, the wife stated that the couple was sleeping in their third-floor bedroom when a man wearing only his underwear entered and began stabbing them with a kitchen knife.
The couple’s two children, ages 8 and 12, were inside the home during the incident, according to the criminal complaint. The wife instructed the children to run to a neighbor’s house, and both escaped without injury, based on the complaint and police statements.
Evans, 46, was transported to a hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead. His wife remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Law enforcement officers detained the suspect, 32-year-old Elijah Hemingway of Pittsburgh, after a K-9 unit tracked him to the rear of a nearby residence.
The wife informed investigators that her husband addressed the attacker by the name “Elijah” during the assault, though she did not personally know the suspect, according to the complaint. She also reported that the assailant repeatedly spoke about “God” and claimed to be “God,” as noted in the complaint.
Authorities characterized the scene as “very violent,” noting broken bedroom furniture and mirrors. A large kitchen knife, which appeared to have blood on it, was recovered in the third-floor bathroom, according to the complaint.
Evans served as a pediatric critical care doctor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and held the position of assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, according to a UPMC spokesperson.
“Dr. Evans was a dedicated caregiver and valued member of our hospital and university communities,” the spokesperson stated. “Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and colleagues.”
Hemingway sustained lacerations to his hand during his apprehension and received treatment at a hospital before being taken into custody. He faces charges of homicide, aggravated assault, and burglary.
Investigators believe Hemingway entered the home through a rear window.
Hemingway told investigators that Dr. Evans had invited him to the residence and permitted him entry, though he offered no explanation regarding how he became acquainted with the doctor, according to the complaint.
Hemingway alleged that Dr. Evans “attacked him with a ‘Michael Myers’ style knife,” which led to a physical altercation involving both victims, the complaint stated. Hemingway reported being stabbed in the back, although investigators observed injuries only to his hands. He claimed to have disarmed Dr. Evans and then stabbed both individuals repeatedly, according to the complaint.
On Saturday, prosecutors announced additional charges against Hemingway, including rape, robbery, and sexual assault, stemming from a separate attack in Wilkinsburg that occurred the day before the fatal incident in Edgewood.
While investigating the doctor’s homicide, detectives received a report of an alleged sexual assault that took place on September 23.
The victim reported that she was walking along a path connecting an alley to West Street when an unidentified male sexually assaulted her, according to investigators.
Detectives launched an inquiry and recovered multiple items linking Hemingway to the reported sexual assault, along with the victim’s cell phone, which was reported stolen during the incident.
Leave a Reply